Short Stories Genre

Short stories defray from a difficult genre.

Perhaps no other genre encapsulates 

the general sensibility of a society 

in a particular moment in time as much

as the short stories. The short story is like

a slice of the immediate present.

Novels, because they are usually 

long-term commitments, may encapsulate

the ethos of an era; the short story is the temperature

of a moment. Some of them have 

a wild and contagious sense of humor; others capture

the desolation and difficult loneliness; many are-timeless-

reaching out into the depths of the absurd to show us how

fragile our conversations around reality and normality.

Libraries are Essential

 

I was born and raised by the statement that Libraries and Librarians are essential part of our local communities we are serving, now more than ever. Libraries offer free educational and recreational self-help resources. Libraries offer information literacy. Libraries are safe refuges' spaces for any underserved population, and this is true: if unemployed, people go to the Library; need free access to Wi-Fi and Internet, people go to the Library; teaching children to read, parents are going to the Library; learning English language, Libraries play an important role in teaching and learning.

Libraries help boost local economies, and they make communities healthier. Libraries and Librarians preserve history, and more important the truth.

Libraries and Librarians are essential in a process of giving citizens access to knowledge in a devoted space. Librarians provide vital services for our society as they are portals to the world's knowledge, literature, culture, facts, etc. We can even say that in reality of our current situation, Librarians save lives by providing information and research to doctors who are dealing with difficult cases.
Meantime, some 'apparatchiks' decided that our Libraries are non-essential for our communities, and the Librarians were furloughed, and the Libraries were closed. What this is telling about us, humans, and the civilization, in general? Access to books and reading denied. Libraries are closed.

What we learned from history? Maya civilization's artifacts and their Codex of books disappeared and gone, the famous Alexandria's library in ancient Egypt was unreplaceable as its books were taken by fire. During WWII, Nazi were burning books; and for some people, books became just paper for fire and keeping fire to provide warmth to humans during cold winters. In the modern time, the Libraries and museums in Iraq were destroyed during long-years of war and the ancient documents and artifacts cannot be replaced.

How the Libraries will survive in the changing and unstable world? We used to measure the progress in society by giving the Libraries greater leverage. Library leader of today and tomorrow should not be an inactivist or a re-activist, but should be a proactivist who will bring order to chaos and is able to establish strategies for advancing the Libraries on the pass of reopening the economy. Unfortunately, some people act and think later - and they think more of excuses than consequences. Another think neither before nor after. In conclusion, thoughts and forethoughts both give counsel on living and achieving success in dealing with day-today issues and organizational maintenance; and transactional transformational leadership, in preparation to be beset by emergencies. With other words, we have to plan ahead for emergencies such as world pandemics, hurricanes, and any other unexpected nature or man-made events.

"The Autumn Lingered, Long and Slow.."

 

From the poem

 "Eugene Onegin"

That year the season was belated
and autumn lingered, long and slow;
expecting winter, nature waited --
only in January the snow,
night of the second, started flaking.
Next day Tatyana, early waking,
saw through the window, morning-bright,
roofs, flowerbeds, fences, all in white,
panes patterned by the finest printer,
with trees decked in their silvery kit,
and jolly magpies on the flit,
and hills that delicately winter
had with its brilliant mantle crowned --
and glittering whiteness all around.

(Alexander Pushkin)

Fall's Come

Summer done.

Fall has come.

Put away shorts,

Take out sweaters.

No more swimming,

But walking through the leaves.

No lemonade,

But hot cocoa.

Turn the fan off,

Turn the heat on,

But enjoy the current season.

It goes fast

And you're blessed

To live another season!

CH, 1921

Brussels Sprouts Dish

 

Active time of preparation: 1 min

 Total time of cooking: 1 hour

4 small fennel bulbs, about 2 lb.

2 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Cook on 350-degree oven, about 50 minutes

Enjoy!

The Signers of the US Constitution

 

On September 17, 1787, 39 men gathered at the

Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia to sign 

the US Constitution. These men ranged from 26

to 81 years of age from Delaware, Maryland,

Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,

Georgia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, 

Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,

and Pennsylvania,

Mushroom Season: Photomontage

 Photography: I. Tomshinsky, the Editor

Craft: I. Tomshinsky, the Editor

Beneath the Mask: Poem

 

Beneath the Mask

Part I

Beneath the mask is a woman’s beautiful face

She wears the mask with grace

Behind the mask

Is an image of bask.

Beneath the mask are the hidden eyes.

They do not behold the lies.

Her body and mind stand for a trailer of pride

Coming from tempests of secrets inside.

The carnival mask is a tool of play,

An instrument to obey

Like the play – ‘hide and seek’

She turned invisible for the trick.

The mask, the protective gear, and a set-up trap

Is a run-up prelude

To an attractive mood.

Behind the mask

Is me, so, do not ask,

You can trust –

The temptations do not rust.

Beneath the cover-up mask,

Is the Dear Ms. 'Don’t Ask,'

Her starlight of the green eyes

Sharper than ice,

With power to confuse and seduce at once,

Do not try to ask twice!

 

Part II

My dear Ms. 'Don’t Ask,'

Take-off the pompous mask.

The kindly eyes don’t lie,

Just try.

Sweetheart, trust –

You must!!

I can turn my darling in the butterfly!

I promise, we will fly

Very high,

In the sky!

Don’t be shy!

O’ my!

Dance, dance away into the night,

Everything will be all right!

Music is making my heart skip the bit.

Let’s drink for the wit

And friendships to commit!

Ida Tomshinsky@2022